How to Plan an Elopement: A Step-by-Step Guide for Couples
Whether you’ve decided to elope just the two of you or host a few loved ones for a microwedding, chances are you went the non-traditional route because you envision a stress-free wedding day. But just because an elopement or microwedding is a more intimate affair doesn’t mean there won’t be some planning involved to make your day absolutely perfect. This guide will walk you through 9 helpful steps to plan your elopement, ensuring your day is everything you pictured and more.
1. Discuss Your Vision
Start by discussing your vision for the day with your partner. This is just a time to sit down together and consider how you want the overall day to feel and flow. The details will come later, so dream big and don’t limit yourselves with logistics quite yet! Here are some baseline questions to get you started:
What kind of location do you both envision (beach, mountains, lake)?
How far do you want to travel for the perfect location? Do you prefer drivable locations or are you dreaming of an international destination?
Do you want it to be just the two of you or invite a few close friends and family?
What’s most important to you on your big day (seclusion, a specific location, the photography, accessibility, adventure, relaxation, etc.)?
2. Determine the Cost of your Dream Elopement
Having a baseline budget is immensely helpful before you start the elopement planning process because it you can understand on the costs of everything combined and set expectations on what you can anticipate to spend on your elopement. Here are just a few things to include in your budget estimate:
Elopement photographer and videographer
Travel and transportation (flights, rental cars, gas, etc.)
Lodging
Flowers
Hair and Makeup
Attire (dress, suit, accessories, shoes)
Wedding bands
Wedding cake
Food and drink
Details like vow books, personalized mugs or glasses, decorations, etc.
Permits
Marriage license costs
3. Choose a Timeframe
While you don’t need to have a specific date chosen, it’s helpful to have a general timeframe chosen so you have an idea of what to expect for weather, seasons, travel, etc. This also helps when you start reaching out to your initial choices for photographers to see when they might be available. While elopement can be planned in anywhere from over a year to under 3 months, elopement photographers start booking up about a year to six months in advance.
Having a general timeframe will also help you narrow down your locations since specific areas may be more accessible during certain times of the year.
Pro Tip: Eloping on a weekday is the best way to avoid crowds and have these beautiful spots all to yourselves on your wedding day!
4. Brainstorm Location Options
Consider a few general locations that interest you. This can be as general as an entire state or as specific as a spot that has significance to you. You can change your mind, but having some ideas will help you research vendors you like that service those areas like elopement photographers and planners who can help you with your planning efforts!
Consider the time of year and weather conditions at each location as well as legal requirements to get married there. Colorado, for instance, is a self-solemnizing state, meaning that you do not need an officiant or witnesses to get married legally. More info on self-solemnizing in Colorado here.
5. Book Your Elopement Photographer
It might seem early in the planning stages to hire a photographer, but for elopements, photographers should help with a bulk of your planning. Elopement-specific photographers can help you with everything from choosing a date and providing specific locations to vendor recommendations and lodging. Photographers who specialize in elopements can also help you brainstorm what your day could look like by providing suggestions for unique details, adventurous activities, including family, and more.
All of my couples receive end-to-end elopement planning, timeline creation, vendor recommendations and more included in my packages, which take the guesswork out of planning an elopement in Colorado, especially when you’re coming from out of town!
6. Invite or Inform Your Loved Ones
Decide Whether to Invite Guests
If you plan to invite a few family members and close friends, let them know as soon as you have a general location chosen with your photographer. This will give them ample time to book travel and lodging. Lodging in Colorado’s mountain towns books up quickly, especially during peak times in summer and fall. You can send e-vites and track RSVPs with websites like Zola, Greenvelope, and Evite.
And when inviting guests, consider how much photography coverage you will need to ensure you also get plenty of alone time together during your elopement. I can help you decide between split-day and multi-day packages to make sure can we do everything on your list while still enjoying time to celebrate with your guests.
Share the News
If you aren’y inviting guests, you can either inform loved ones ahead of time and set expectations or choose to let them know after by sharing the news with photos and videos! For me, I find it’s less stressful for a couple to let the people know ahead of time instead of keeping their elopement a secret, but it’s totally up to you!
If you do inform your friends and family ahead of time, let them know they can help with some of the planning like helping you pick your wedding attire! Many people will also host pre-elopement celebrations for the couple.
Plan a Post-Wedding Celebration
If you will be eloping just the two of you, consider planning a post-elopement celebration with family and friends. This can be a casual gathering like an outdoor BBQ, a formal wedding reception, or anything in between!
7. Organize the Details
Arrange Travel and Accommodation
Book your travel and accommodations early to ensure availability. As mentioned, lodging in particular areas books out well in advance, especially larger homes for big groups. I can provide you with a list of lodging options in each area to help with your search. And I absolutely love when couples book unique and romantic lodging options, such as cozy A-frame cabins, boutique hotels, or luxury tents for their elopement day!
Choose Your Attire
Select attire that suits your location and personal style and make sure it’s something you feel comfortable being in all day! Consider logistics such as weather, terrain, and activities you might want to include. I always suggest flowy and lightweight fabric for summer elopements and something a bit warmer for fall and winter wedding days. Avoid attire that you can’t move in!
Book Your Other Wedding Vendors
I provide each couple with a list of vendor recommendations for things like flowers, hair and makeup artists, activity guides, bakeries, restaurants, lodging, and more! It’s important to reach out ahead of time to vendors you connect with because many book out far in advance for larger weddings. September is the busiest month for weddings in Colorado, so ensure you book well in advance if you have a fall wedding to ensure you’re able to secure your dream wedding team!
8. Plan Your Experience
Choose Your Activities
I always have couples choose what activities they might want to include in their day ahead of time so we can build those into their timeline and book any guides or rentals, if needed. Some of my favorite elopement activities include 4x4 driving, hiking, canoeing or paddle boarding, horseback riding, a helicopter tour, a cooking class, etc. Once we decide on all the things you want to include, we’ll decide how much time you need for everything!
For full list of activity ideas, check out my ultimate guide on elopement day activities.
Build Your Timeline
Every couple receives a detailed timeline of their day based on everything they want to do and see. Timelines lay out everything from drive times to multiple locations to time for setting up and enjoying activities and relaxation moments for the day so you can focus on just showing up and experiencing your best day!
There are SO many incredible things you can include in your elopement day that putting everything down in your timeline helps you visualize how much time we might need for everything and whether it makes sense to break your adventures up into two consecutive days.
9. Enjoy Your Dream Day
My number one tip for planning your elopement is to be present! Focus on celebrating your love and the moments you’re sharing together. All the anticipation and planning leads up to this one day and it goes by fast, so be present in every moment. Embrace the mishaps, bask in the incredible scenery around you, and enjoy the experiences you get to share together. Let go of the things you can’t control and remember the reason you chose an intentional elopement day instead of a big traditional wedding.
By choosing an elopement photographer who is an expert in helping you plan and curate your dream Colorado elopement, you can ensure your elopement is stress-free, romantic, and perfectly tailored to your vision. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that your wedding day reflects the love and commitment you share with your partner. So focus on a day that is uniquely YOU.